Chapter 5: The Aftermath, Searching, and Hunting
Warnings: moral dilemmas, attempted murder, blood, gore, suicidal mention/thoughts.
Gossip and rumors spread in East Blue about what happened to Dawn Island and Goa Kingdom. The citizens of East Blue were the first to hear of the fire that ravaged Dawn Island, a week after the fire happened. They were the first of the Blues that saw the News Coo, next it was South Blue, then came South West Blue, after came North Blue.
Finally the news came to the Grand Line.
…
The Marines in East Blue were all wondering the same thing. What would Vice-Admiral Garp do now?
The pirate crews of East Blue didn't really care all that much about the island burning down. Alvida just thought that it was one more cause of an island harboring a Kingdom and their demise. Arlong was relishing in the deaths of the Nobles and other aristocrats of Dawn Island. But there was one pirate crew, more than that, the Captain, of said crew that was worried.
Buggy the Clown, Captain of the Buggy Pirates was horrified at the news, knowing that Shanks had visited the island and stayed there for a year. The blue haired man shuddered to think about Shanks' rage at reading and finding out the news. He hoped his old friend wouldn't try and track him down for some sort of crazy rampage.
"Garp, I hope you've said your prayers. You're going to have hell to pay when Shanks gets ahold of you." Buggy muttered as he read the news article stating that Marine Vice-Admiral Garp was the only survivor of the fire.
.
The Gecko Islands were in a frenzy about the destruction of Dawn, everyone was asking questions and talking about it.
However, the adopted mother-daughter duo of Dadan and Makino just stayed away in their small cottage and hid. They didn't want to hear about their home being burned to the ground. They didn't want to hear about what people had thought happened and about what would now happen to Garp.
Neither of them wanted to know what the others were saying. But they had to, so they just ignored it as best they could. But Makino was scared. She knew that Shanks loves Luffy like he is his own son… finding out about Dawn… finding out about Luffy, it would break him. And she was terrified about what would happen to Garp because of that love for Luffy.
The green haired young woman shared her fears with Dadan and the older woman just sighed and bit down on her cigarette. "There is nothing we can do, Makino. Shanks will find out sooner or later. He'll be coming for Garp, hell; I wouldn't be surprised if Dragon tries to get answers for Luffy as well."
"Shanks will kill Garp!" Makino yelled at her.
"Garp is a D-Bearer, Makino. Only another D can kill them." Dadan told her sternly, pushing the younger woman out of the way and making her way outside to the little backyard forest-area they had.
"How do you know that?" Makino asked the orange haired woman.
Dadan frowned, "Garp, he told me that one day Ace might ask about who his parents are so he told me a little bit about the Will of D, all I know is that." Then she turned to look at the green haired young woman. "What's done is done. We can't go back and change it so Ace doesn't burn down Dawn." Dadan said, ending the conversation about their old home island.
.
The people of Cocoyasi Village were shocked and saddened by the news. The sheriff of the village was horrified to see the pictures of the dead so cruelly burned, they could never have a proper burial after the fire destroyed most of the bodies.
"That's horrible!" Nojiko, Nami's older sister, and Bellmere's oldest daughter whispered.
"All we can do is pray that the dead get to have peace in some way." Genzo told the girl.
"But-!" Nojiko stopped and stared.
"Nojiko?" Genzo asked.
"Nami!" Nojiko ran to her sister, who was crying and held a slightly bloody newspaper in her hands.
"Your hands! You need to go to Nako, now!" Genzo told the younger girl sternly as he ushered them down the road to the doctor's house. The sisters went along with the man as the news article left their minds, focusing on Nami.
.
Shimotsuki Village is in a similar predicament to Cocoyasi Village. However, there were few who weren't grieving, but were worried about the future.
One of which was, Shimotsuki Koushirou. The master swordsman clutched his father's Meito: Wado Ichimonji.
"The future is changing. War is coming…" He whispers as he looks mournfully at the sword in his hands. "Forgive me Father. The person that will wield your blade will not be a member of the Shimotsuki Family… Though, I hope you can accept him as Kuina's successor."
Koushirou stood and went to his daughter's grave. Standing in front of it, with his two swords in his hands, was the boy that challenged Kuina everyday but lost every duel with her.
"Zoro." Koushirou greeted the grieving boy.
The boy's head snapped up and he quickly turned to his master behind him. "Hello, Koushirou-Sensei." He bows his head and begins to leave but his teacher's hand on his shoulder stops him.
"You have seen the news of Dawn Island." The man knew that his daughter's friend already seen the newspaper. The green haired boy nods, not understanding why his teacher was asking him about that.
"Yes, I have. Why?"
"Roronoa Zoro." Zoro stood up straight and looked up at the man with a gulp. "I, Shimotsuki Koushirou, give you permission to wield Wado Ichimonji, one of the two swords that were crafted by Shimotsuki Kozaburo, of the Shimotsuki Family." Koushirou paused and looked at Zoro's stunned reaction.
"Do you accept the responsibility of carrying Wado Ichimonji?"
"Yes I do!" Zoro exclaimed, hopeful at getting his friend's sword.
"Remember Zoro, this sword can only be wielded by a member of the Shimotsuki Family or if it is passed onto someone the previous wielder trusts and believes in. So I ask you, Roronoa Zoro, what is your dream?"
"To become the world's greatest swordsman!" Zoro shouted to the heavens with a giant smile on his face.
Koushirou smiles and chuckles. "I hope you do, because you not only carry your dreams with you, but Kuina's as well."
"I'll do it, Koushirou-Sensei! I swear, I'll make both Kuina-Chan and my dream come true!" Zoro told him as he secured Wado Ichimonji to his belt.
"That means you will have to fight many strong swordsmen and samurai, are you ready for that?" The dark blue haired man asks his student.
"I will be." Zoro nods seriously.
"Very well, then. You still have some years left with me before I allow you to leave. So, let's head back, alright?" The two, master and student, head back to the dojo.
Koushirou glanced back at the grave, 'I hope you can rest in peace Kuina and know that your dream will come true thanks to Zoro. I hope… please watch over us, my daughter. I love you.'
"Where are you three going to go now? Are you going to be pirates now?" Garp asks his grandsons.
"No, not yet. Sabo and I will only head to the Grand Line when we are 17, but we will be looking for a crew soon. Luffy," Ace turned to look at his youngest brother who was staring at his hat.
Luffy slowly moved his gaze upward to stare at the other Devil Fruit user. "Yeah, Ace?"
"You can start gathering your crew when 'Bo and I leave for the Grand Line, however, you can only enter it when you are 17 like us, alright?" He tells the rubber-boy sternly.
"Yay! I'm gonna get a small crew, not too big…. Maybe a 12? Yeah, a dozen people! That's a good number." Luffy smiles at his brothers and grandfather.
"Yeah, Lu. 12 is a good size crew." Sabo says with a small smile.
"What about you? What are you going to do now? I mean… Shanks is going to be after you soon, once word about Dawn gets out. How will you handle that?" Sabo asks the old man.
The Marine rubbed his fingers over his eyes, tired but not wanting to fight. He knew that he deserved everything that was coming for him by both Shanks and Dragon… but he was just so fucking tired, he didn't want to fight anymore.
He hates himself for having to choose between his family and his duty. He hates himself, that despite that, he knows he can't quit, because that would give the Five Elders the grounds to have him executed because he's a D.
He would have to run and hide, tuck his tail; Monkey D. Garp does not run from a fight. He is a man bound by an impossible choice and with an impossible family. And with a duty that he cannot abandon right now, for if he does… he would be condemning those under his care to be swallowed up by a corrupt and abusive system that doesn't care.
The old Marine doesn't know the full story or truths of the Will of D, or even the Family of D. All Garp knows is that those with the D initial in their names will bring about a storm, and that the Celestial Dragons fear the Family of D.
He grins at that, big and wide at, one day, being able to watch those fuckers scream in fear as his own son, because he knows Dragon's end goal, kills them all. Dragon knows more about the Will of D than he does and that's not something that can be freely shared, not even with family members.
Dragon's revolution… will that be the storm that will change the world? Will Dragon succeed in destroying the Celestial Dragons and the World Government? That's the big question, is he capable of doing that?
But then, what did that mean for Garp?
Would… Could Dragon kill Garp?
Could Garp kill Dragon?
Could the Monkey D. line clash and have to kill each other in the future?
Garp didn't know. He didn't want to know. Shaking his head from the dark thoughts swirling in his mind, he focuses on the three children with him.
Luffy was leaning on the rail and just watching the sea, while Ace and Sabo were discussing something by the wheel and rudder.
"What are you two talking about?" The old man asks the two boys.
They both look up and Sabo tells him, "We're deciding where we want to start with recruiting for the Spade Pirates."
"Spade Pirates?" Garp asks.
"Yeah, Ace came up with it. He'll be the Captain. I won't be the First Mate since I might go and do something else later on. Don't know yet. Maybe join another crew or help people." Sabo shrugged.
"So you won't always be a pirate?" Garp questions and Sabo shrugs again, shaking his head.
"Probably not. But I don't really know what I want to do. But what I want is freedom."
Garp nods and looks to Ace. "Where do you want us to drop you off at? We can go to an island that has a Marine base if you want."
The oldest D-Bearer shakes his head. "No. I'll be fine on my own. Find some place to rest for the time being. You don't have enough supplies to sustain all three of you, especially yours and Luffy's eating habits." He tells Ace.
"There are a couple places I can think of to go to until we can head out properly and make sure Luffy can take care of himself." Ace said, and Garp nods and smiles at the boy.
"You've really grown up Ace. I… I'm sorry. For how I acted and that I just left you with Dadan and… I'm sorry… I couldn't- I couldn't do anything for Rogue." Garp falls to his knees in front of the 11 year old boy.
"Please forgive me, Ace!" He weeps.
Ace stays silent as the man sobs in front of him, begging forgiveness. Ace can't give him what he wants. The 20 year old minded boy knows that deep down, he can't forgive Garp for all that had happened in the past timeline. He can't forgive him for everything that he has told him about Roger, about himself…
It's still really hard for Ace to value his life, even with the fact that he knows that he has Luffy, Sabo, Dadan, Makino, and Marco that love him for everything he is. Including who his parents are. He had to learn about his mother from his father, when he died. The Devil Fruit user had died protecting his younger brother, he will never regret saving Luffy from Akainu, don't get him wrong. But that doesn't mean that everything with Garp could be swept away.
It couldn't.
Not now, but Ace knows that one day he will be able to forgive Garp. But that day was a long way away.
Ace frowns as he looks down at the sobbing and begging form of Monkey D. Garp in front of him. "No." He says simply, turning away from the old man whose soul was breaking on the inside.
The Vice-Admiral stares at Ace's back as his brothers start protesting but Ace ignores them heading up to the crow's nest to be alone.
"Grandpa…" Luffy whimpers, tears filling and falling from his eyes. Garp takes in the little boy. The boy that he had failed so many times, just like his father.
He was never meant to be a father. He was never meant to be a husband either.
But he is, and he will protect his family, even if they hated and cursed him. He would still love them even if they break his heart.
"Okay." Garp said quietly. He hugged Luffy and Sabo tightly and gave them both a kiss on their foreheads.
"Be good, be careful. Take care of each other and listen to Ace. I love you." The old man had a sad smile on his face as he began to truly realize how many mistakes he's made throughout the years. Just because he wanted to do the right thing for an old friend.
And it hurt.
It hurt thinking about the son who despised him and ran away from him at the first opportunity. It hurt to think about his two adopted grandsons and his biological grandson hating him for being a Marine and being the cause of their home's destruction.
The Vice-Admiral knew it was his fault for Dawn's destruction even though Ace was the one who burned it down. He let out a chuckle that sounded like a sob.
Who was he kidding? If it wasn't for God Valley he would have been killed and Dragon would have been hunted down relentlessly until he was finally captured and killed.
He had taken in the son of the Pirate King - a notorious D-Bearer, he was the father of the World's Worst Criminal, who happened to have a son as well, and had also taken in the son of two highly respected Nobles (in their circles), who had run away at the age of five, and the boy was eleven now.
Tears streamed down the old man's face silently as he stood up to his full height and tried to give the two children a reassuring smile. "Give this to Ace when he comes down." Garp pulled out a white Den-Den-Mushi from his pocket, "This Den-Den is special because of the fact that nothing can intercept it. You just have to connect another Den-Den to it or just use the white one and everything that is said will be secured. No one will be able to access it or intercept any calls to or from the white Den-Den-Mushi."
Sabo nods and takes the snail in his hands carefully. "We'll miss you." Sabo sniffed, trying not to cry when Luffy was sobbing and clutching his straw hat tightly over his face.
"I love you three. You are my family, always." And then the Marine left the ship, jumping into the water and swimming away to the nearest island or boat he could find.
Ace watched him go with a pained expression, hating himself even more, but knowing that it was necessary to protect the old man. Garp had given up so much to protect both him and Luffy, so this was the least he could do for the man, even though he hates it.
When Garp made it to an island, he already knew that there was a Marine base on it. Apparently this was the Yotsuba Island Region, and this town was called Shells Town.
When he got out of the water and dried himself off with a small burst of Haki, because no one in East Blue except a few pirates even knew what Haki was. So he couldn't be flaunting it around without making people piss themselves in fear.
He walked around the small town, debating whether or not it would be a good idea to go to the Marine base in town just yet. He wasn't wearing his marine outfit, so no one recognized him, thankfully.
He stopped at a small restaurant for some food and paid extra to the woman because the food was almost as good as Makino's (he grimaced at the thought of the young woman). His Den-Den was ringing when he stepped out of the restaurant.
It was Sengoku. Shit!
Garp quickly went into an alleyway to get some privacy and made sure his Observation Haki was active. "This is Vice-Admiral Garp speaking." He said into the microphone of the snail.
"Garp, I need you to come back to Marineford. It's… urgent." Sengoku said, sounding tired and like he had been crying.
"Sen? Are you alright?" Garp immediately asked his friend.
The other man let out a bitter chuckle. "No." Sengoku sighed and spoke again. "I need to tell you something, and I would rather do it in person."
"Can you give me some time? There's… there's something I need to do before I come back. I'd rather not have you caught in the crossfire." Garp said hesitantly, hoping his friend could wait just a little before Garp came back.
The snail's eyes spelled disbelief and confusion. "Garp what have you gotten yourself caught up in?"
Garp couldn't speak, but he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Dawn was burned down. Apparently the Nobles tried to get some pirates to burn down Grey Terminal but the bombs went off to early, and started a massive fire."
Sengoku inhaled sharply. The snail's eyes were wide with horror and grief. "I… Gods Garp. Take as much time as you need. Do what you have to. I'll wait. See you soon, old friend." Sengoku said, knowing that he didn't want any pity from his friend.
"Thank you, Sen. I'll be in touch when I'm done." Then Garp hung up and put the snail back into his pocket, thanking the little animal. A scowl made its way onto his face, 'If I'm not dead by then.'
The marine didn't want his friend or anyone for that matter, to get in between him and what was likely to happen to him, with being hunted down by Red-Hair and another D-Bearer, who happened to be his own son.
He purchased a small ship, big enough for him to get a crew of 10, but he didn't need (or want) anyone with him when he went to confront Shanks first.
Garp's reasoning to seek out the red haired pirate first was because he couldn't face his son yet. Hell, he wasn't even sure he could even handle seeing one of Roger's cabin brats again after so many years. Even if Shanks was the reason why Luffy had that straw hat and that he had chased out the Red Hair Pirates from East Blue less than a year ago.
The old Marine didn't know if he should call or not, but after getting through the Calm Belt and into the Grand Line (because there was no way in hell he wants to go through Crocus in his state of mind), he didn't want to call, not wanting to risk Shanks accidentally killing part of his crew in anger.
Garp needed to do this in person, or he would regret it for the rest of his (probably very short) life.
He hoped that the News Coo hadn't gotten to Shanks or Dragon yet, because if it did… he shuddered to think what their fury would bring about. He knew that both men had King's Haki, and that was just asking for trouble. If he could avoid that… then he would.
The Vice-Admiral would just like to get to the Red Hair Pirates and be done with it. Then all he would have to deal with was Dragon, and at least with him, he would know what to expect… he hoped.
Garp had no idea how much Dragon had changed since leaving East Blue, but he would be a lot. The last time he had seen his son was when he was 18. Garp knew that Dragon had been there for Roger's execution, most in East Blue were there, even some… other people. And the old man did not want to think about that particular day.
It was the day that, for the first time in almost a decade and a half, he had felt his only child's Haki in the same sea as him. He knew that Dragon was avoiding him; his parenting skills were horrible even back then. But… when Dragon had shown up with a little baby in his arms and told him the boy's name, Garp had melted.
Garp wanted to do better. He wanted Luffy to grow up right, to not have to be hunted down because of his family, because of his blood ties, but that hadn't worked out for him. None of his three grandsons had a home anymore. They had to leave everything behind, even leaving behind the two women who were, by all rights, the closest thing that any of the three boys would ever call a mother or an older sister. Even Garp himself considered Makino his daughter.
What he wouldn't give to be able to change it all. Change how he had treated and raised his son; change how he raised his grandson and Roger's own child. He knew that one day soon Ace would find out about Baterilla, and he feared that day. He dreaded it and feared that would cause the boy to come after him with the fury of a D, more than that, he knew that Ace and Roger shared the same temperament, and he never wanted to face that again.
It took him almost a month to travel through Paradise and the New World. He finally made it to Yukiryu Island and just stared at the island because his mind went blank at potentially facing off against the man who gave Luffy Roger's straw Hat, who, mind you, knew the true history of the world and knew the significance of that hat and about the Will of D, or at least, Garp suspected.
The Marine didn't actually know if any of Roger's old crew knew the meaning of their middle initial or what the Will of D even meant. But one thing is known, that whenever there is a D-Bearer involved in changing the world, no matter the era, they will always bring about a storm.
He knew that there was no avoiding this. He knew that, but that didn't mean Garp was trying to actively seek people trying to murder him because of his grandson.
The Vice-Admiral had also been debating telling Shanks about the fact of his former Captain's son. But he had decided against that since he didn't want to call attention to Ace, nor the other two boys if he could help it.
So Garp did the one thing he could do in this situation without chickening out. He flared his Haki, making sure Red-Hair knew who was coming and then jumped into the shallow water, after making sure his small ship was firmly anchored in the sand bed of the winter island.
He made his way to the shore where he was met by a very fat man eating a rack of meat. 'Luffy must have gotten his love of meat from him.' Garp chuckled low as he nodded to the man.
"Vice-Admiral Garp." The man said, "Is there something you need?" The man asked him. He didn't remember his name when he was chasing them out of East Blue when he had heard that the Red Hair Pirates had set up shop in Foosha. That's when he remembered the man's bounty poster. This was Lucky Roux, one of Shanks' officers.
"I'm not here as a Marine. I need to speak to Captain Shanks." Garp said politely.
The green dressed man raised an eyebrow but gestured for Garp to follow him. Garp followed quietly and hoped he would be able to explain before Red Hair and his crew attempted to kill him. But he wasn't holding his breath for that small miracle to happen.
Garp and Lucky Roux came to a stop in front of a cave. "Cap'n, Garp's here. Says he needs to speak to you."
"Permission to enter, Captain Shanks?" Garp asked loudly and clearly, making his intentions known to the pirate.
"Permission granted." Shanks called out and Garp entered the cave, followed by the fat man (who was still eating).
"My thanks for not attacking outright." Garp nodded his head in the direction of the red haired captain. He knew the old traditions, and he knew that most of the new generation didn't know the traditions or even respected them.
That needed to change, and that would come from Ace, Luffy, and Sabo. He knew that the boys would do right by the old generation and would carry on the traditions.
"You didn't come here to fight, so I won't either. However, if you provoke me, I will." Shanks said in a hard tone.
"I understand. Thank you, again."
"So, why are you here, Garp?" Shanks' First Mate was staring at Garp with an unreadable expression that made the D-Bearer feel like he already knew why he had come.
Garp sighed and slowly reached behind him, taking out the newspaper out of his back pocket. "I wanted for you to hear it from me. I know you would have hunted me down for answers and I would rather you hear it from me." The old Marine had started saying.
That didn't reassure Shanks in the slightest. Something was wrong and he didn't know what.
"Dawn was burned to the ground. Nothing is left; it's a dead island now." Garp said looking directly into Shanks' eyes. He knew that this would break the red haired man, but there was no other way than to say it outright. The Marine extended the newspaper to the pirate.
Shanks didn't move, he was frozen in shock. His thoughts were running in a loop in his head. 'Dawn was burned to the ground. Nothing is left.'
Then, Shanks moved. His fist clenched tightly and his teeth grinding against each other. "How?" He glared at the Marine in question. At least he wasn't attacking him, so that was a plus.
"The Goa Kingdom was going to be hosting a Celestial Dragon, so they hired washed up pirates to place bombs in and around Grey Terminal to burn it to the ground. The citizens living there, be damned to their fate of burning and suffocating to death. The bombs went off earlier than expected and burned down both the surrounding forests and Grey Terminal." The old Marine told them.
Shanks's eyes narrowed on him and he had to stop himself from tensing. "You're hiding something." Shanks said, hand still clenched tightly. 'Anchor can't be dead!' Was the thought running around in his head at the moment, because that's all he had, a thought.
Garp sighed and rubbed his eyes. "To the world at large I am the only survivor of my home island's destruction. The story is that I was there visiting my family. They all died." Shanks' Haki was building with grief and anger.
"Anchor's dead?" Yasopp breathed, his face pale in horror and grief.
The red haired pirate looked about ready to unleash his Haki, and Garp knew that he had the King's Will, Luffy and Ace probably had King's Haki as well, if he was thinking about it, actually.
Garp tensed, ready for a fight if, when, it broke out. He knew that this would break Red Hair, but at least he wasn't learning of it from the damn newspaper.
Unfortunately, Garp wasn't that lucky.
A burst of King's Haki from Shanks was all it took for the officers of the Red Hair Pirates to be up on their feet in an instant and pointing their weapons at him.
"He's mine!" Shanks roars, his Haki twisting in grief and anger.
Garp covers his arms and legs in Armament Haki and proceeds to duck and dodge the furious red haired man as he tries to kill him. 'Not that Red Hair could, he could only do that with…. Shit!' Garp thought frantically, he knew that his son was going to hunt him down, if he hasn't started already.
If Dragon comes and finds him, then Shanks and Dragon actually could kill him if they wanted. The Marine Hero paled at the thought of having to fight his son. Or worse, having to kill his son. Garp really didn't want to fight his family.
A Haki-coated sword clashes with Haki covered arms and legs. Garp tries desperately to not hurt Red Hair, but, well, the man was making so many mistakes in his anger that Garp could not take advantage of it.
He knew that this might get him on Luffy's shit-list if he ever found out, or if Shanks somehow found out that Luffy was alive before he becomes a pirate. Luffy would be pissed at him if his idol was hurt because of him, even if it was in an attempt to protect himself from the enraged pirate. But that was beside the point; he needed to get out of here before Dragon comes for him.
Because he knew that Dragon would come. For all the fury of a D was a powerful thing, the fierce protectiveness of a parent was even more deadly. Even though Dragon didn't raise Luffy (because he was the leader of the fucking Revolutionaries and couldn't take care of a baby at the time) he did love his son.
A burst of King's Haki from Shanks brought him back to the fight at hand. Shanks looked like a red demon, which in all honesty, he was when it came to those he considered nakama. Which included Luffy; and that was why the man was hell-bent on killing Garp, or attempting to.
More than that, Garp knew that Red Hair Shanks and Buggy the Clown were both members of the Roger Pirates as apprentices. They learned to protect what's theirs at the knee of Gol D. Roger, a man who would slaughter anyone who hurt his nakama. And seeing how Shanks was acting on behalf of a boy he met a year before and took a liking to, well, there's no wonder Luffy seemed to admire him.
He learned from a D-Bearer, and Luffy was a D-Bearer himself.
"LUFFY WAS A CHILD! HE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE!" Shanks screamed as he continued to attack relentlessly at Garp, who was trying and failing to dodge his strikes. The man wouldn't stop until he drew blood, and even then it wouldn't be enough.
Shanks step-sided a punch from Garp that would have brought down most opponents, and slashed at the Vice-Admiral, catching him on his shoulder. Garp bit down on his tongue to stop a curse from escaping him as he jumped back. He didn't have time to examine the wound, but he knew that since it was coated in Haki it would be deep and dangerous if he couldn't stitch it shut soon.
A dark grin made its way onto Shanks' face as he saw his sword covered in the Marine's blood. Garp scowled, and used Soru to get away from the red haired pirate as he manipulated his Haki to tightly coil within him until Shanks was just an arms-length away.
The D-Bearer unleased his King's Haki in one wave. Shanks fell to his knees and gasped for breath, his sword falling limply out of his hand as he fell forward into the snow.
Garp knew that he was on the edge on consciousness so he kneeled down and whispered in Shanks' ear, "Monkey D. Luffy lives, but you cannot seek him out until he becomes a pirate. You made a bet on him, let him prove that he has earned it."
The old man knew that Shanks would understand what he was saying. Then, Garp jumped back onto his small ship and sailed away. The Vice-Admiral knew that he wouldn't be able to do that with Dragon. So he sailed like his life depended on it (Dragon couldn't kill him, but he could come close) and tried to find an inhabitable island which suited his needs.
Ivankov was pale as he read the article. The okama knew that Dragon would go on a rampage and nothing but Garp's blood would satisfy him.
He was not looking forward to telling his leader about his home island being destroyed. "All of you make sure you are away from Dragon. If not… I don't think you will survive his wrath." Ivankov muttered darkly, the other Revolutionaries scattering in fear of their leader's anger being pointed toward them.
Taking a breath and slowly walking towards Dragon's office, he knocked softly.
"Enter." Dragon called from within.
Dragon raised his head from the reports that he was reading, regarding one of his Army Commanders. "Yes, Ivankov?" He asked the okama.
The large man didn't say anything, he was still pale and started to sweat in fear as he handed the newspaper in his hands over to the tattooed man.
Raising an eyebrow to the other man, Dragon took the newspaper and only read the title of the article before a low growl left his mouth. Ivankov paled even further and ran out of the room, fearing for his life. He would admit that Dragon terrified him when he was mad, not that Iva had seen his leader so furious before.
But, there's a first time for everything.
Dragon was shaking with utter rage coursing through him. A scream of agony clawed out of his mouth as his Haki twisted in anger, grief, hate, and longing.
Dragon was going to kill his father.
The rational part of his mind was discarded for the time being by thoughts of death and murder. He had a Monkey to hunt down.
Dragon was usually a stoic man, but right now he was filled with agony at the loss of his son and the fact that his father was responsible for the destruction of their home island. A snarl left his mouth as he headed for the fasted ship the Revolutionary Army had as he quickly hoisted the sails and went to get answers.
The Revolutionary Supreme Commander let the winds and his Haki find his father. However, there were some extremely stupid Marines that attempted to bring him in. They didn't live long as Dragon was in no mood to play games. He killed the Marines quickly with a snap of the neck or a blade through the heart. Pirates, as well, got the same treatment.
His Haki was in turmoil as he thought about his son and if he suffered when he died. The boy had to be around 7 or 8 years old now, and he's dead. Luffy is dead, that thought plagued him; he knew that it was a mistake for him to leave his son with his father.
He should have known that it would end up like his childhood. But it ended up being worse. Dragon was pissed, and an enraged D was a recipe for disaster when it came to being a parent as well. The man didn't know where he expected to find his father, but on a deserted island in the New World was not it.
Dragon could feel his father's Haki, and it was twisting in anxiety, fear, and resignation.
Dragon snarled, "GARP! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!"
Garp frowned at his son. "Dra-" Garp couldn't even say his son's name before he attacked with all the ferocity of his namesake.
Not given any time to defend himself, Garp quickly found himself on the defensive as he blocked Dragon's Haki-infused punches and kicks.
'Fuck, this isn't good!' He thought as he used Armament Haki as well. Punches and kicks connected with each other as the two Monkey D's fought (hopefully not) to the death. Haki flew around them as both tried to stave off their grief and desperation.
"I GAVE YOU MY SON SO HE WOULD BE SAFE!" Dragon roared in fury as a volatile wave of King's Haki made Garp's legs buckle from beneath him.
Dragon was going to kill him. 'Dragon is going to kill me!' The Marine realized in horror. His Armament Haki slipped at the thought and Dragon pounced on him. Haki covered fists raining down on Garp as he tried to defend himself from his position on the rocky ground.
Blood began flowing from Garp's wounds as Dragon's Haki sharpened and cut open his skin. Garp defended himself all he could, but one blow too many to the head made Garp black out momentarily.
The Vice-Admiral pried his eyes open as Dragon barred down on him. Even though his son was a foot shorter than him, he was still being held up by his neck, Dragon's hand slowly and agonizingly closing tighter and tighter around his throat.
The Marine blinked slowly and all he saw was red. Oh, wait… that was his blood on Dragon's hands. Garp's clothing was littered with blood, dirt, and filth. Most of it was hanging off of his body in threads because of the beating that Dragon had just given him.
Opening his eyes to stare blankly at his only son, he couldn't help but think how much Dragon looks like him when he was younger. He chuckles but just coughs up blood, it drips down his chin as he's thrown on the ground by Dragon.
Dragon loomed over his father, his eyes saying it all. Yanking on Garp's barely-hanging on shirt, he hisses, "What did you do?" His arms and hands hurt as his fists clench around the loose material, ripping right off of Garp's body. Dragon's hands are covered in blood and bruises, even with his Armament Haki; his father was still the stronger of the two.
Garp coughs lightly, spitting out the excess blood in his mouth before looking up at Dragon. "I did what I had to-"
"YOU MURDERED MY SON!" Dragon screamed.
"To protect… them. Lu-" Garp couldn't speak anymore, he was coughing up too much blood as his broken ribs shifted painfully inside of him, he felt one of them graze his lung and held his breath, trying to wait out the spasms and pain he was feeling.
"What?"
"Luffy is alive. Pirate." Garp gave Dragon a large bloody D-grin.
The younger D-Bearer was stunned, his body going numb as his actions and his father's words finally caught up to his rage-fueled mind.
"He… Luffy's alive?" He whispered.
Garp nodded seriously. "He's a pirate, won't leave the Blues until he's 17, but he'll get a good crew and the others with him will train him, both with his Devil Fruit and with his Haki."
"Devil Fruit, he ate a Devil Fruit? Which one?" Dragon asked, slowly calming down, now listening to his father.
"The Gomu Gomu Fruit. It's actually really versatile if Luffy can apply it correctly."
"What really happened to Dawn, Garp?" Dragon asked, arms crossed over his chest.
"Dawn was burned down. It was the only way that Luffy and the others could be safe; everyone believes that I'm the only survivor. Luffy, and two other boys: Sabo and Ace survived, Makino and Dadan as well. I don't know where they are, the boys took them to where they wanted, but it's in the Blues." He didn't tell Dragon anything other than that.
"Ace?" He's heard that name before… but where?
"Luffy has two adopted older brothers, Ace and Sabo." Garp wasn't telling his son anything about Roger's son. He knew that he could trust Dragon with this information, but… something felt off. Garp didn't feel comfortable breaking Ace's barely earned trust.
Dragon nodded knowing that his father was hiding something but didn't press. "What are you going to do now?" He asked, glancing at his father.
The older man was bruised and bloody, his clothing completely ruined with blood or ripped to shreds in their fight.
Garp sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, even though he was sporting two black eyes and a broken nose. "I don't know. I don't even know what I can do in this situation."
It took Garp a few minutes to get up on his knees and then push himself up to stand. Dragon stood as well, getting a full look at what he had done to his father. He grimaced, regretting letting the D-temper get the best of him. But this was his son, yes, he hasn't ever been there to see him grow, but he was still Luffy's father.
"Can you tell me where Luffy is?" Garp shook his head.
"No. This is to protect him and the other boys. If anyone finds out, even by accident, they will be hunted down by the Marines and the World Government. I won't let that happen to my family." Garp growled, so Dragon nodded at his father's explanation and didn't ask anything further.
Closing his eyes, the old Marine breathed in deeply, even as it made his ribs shift. Dragon's Haki disappeared and then Garp opened his eyes, gazing at the spot that his son had just been.
"I hope this has opened your eyes Dragon. I know it has for me." He muttered to the wind as he set off at a slow pace to his small ship, now going back to Marineford to see what Sengoku wanted from him.
Marines stare at the bloody and beaten figure of Monkey D. Garp. His face was stone as he made his way down the halls towards Sengoku's office. He couldn't be bothered to change or clean himself. He would do that afterwards. He was too tired to care what others thought of him or any rumors.
"Garp!" He moves his head towards the voice that called out to him.
It was Tsuru. "Tsuru… Is Sengoku in his office?" He asked her, not bothering to use his Observation Haki. He can't at this point, pushing his body past its limits. His wounds haven't even had much time to heal since he's been getting into small skirmishes since his fight with Dragon.
"What the hell happened to you?!" She asked, concern plain in her voice.
He tried to smile at her but it turned into a wince. "Not anything I don't deserve." He whispered as he walked past her, leaving bloody boot prints in his wake. His friend wasn't having any of it and gently wrapped her arm around his abdomen and leading him towards the infirmary but he stopped her by pushing her away and leaning against the wall, turning the other direction towards his other friend's office.
"'What you deserve'? What are you talking about? Garp, you need medical attention!" Tsuru told him sternly.
"Sen wanted to see me when I got back. I want to do that first and then I'll go see a doctor." Garp told her.
"Stubborn idiot, fine!" The old woman led her friend to Sengoku.
"Tsuru-" Sengoku stopped and stared in horror at his friend. "What the fuck happened?!" Sengoku shouted.
Garp grimaced in both pain and anxiety. "Nothing that needs your attention. I've handled it."
"You- What the fuck happened on Dawn?!" The Fleet Admiral hissed out the last word.
Garp didn't give anything away. Sengoku sighed and groaned. "Fine."
"What did you want to talk about?" Garp asked, still standing with Tsuru's help as he didn't want to ruin one of Sengoku's chairs with blood. More than that, he didn't think he would be able to get up after he sat down.
"It's… It's Rosi." Sengoku removed his glasses rubbed his face. "He's dead. I found out a few months ago."
Garp and Tsuru tensed, looking at their old friend in shock. "God, Sen! What the fuck is even happening anymore? Do you know who killed him? I'm assuming he was murdered." Tsuru said softly, glancing at Garp for a moment.
"I don't know. But a woman came to me and told me about…" Sengoku took in his two best friends. "Rosi has a son. We are the only three who can know and search for him. He's in danger, I don't know what kind, but I want your help to find my adopted grandson. Please." He pleaded with them.
"Sen, you don't have say any more. Of course we'll help you. You deserve to have your family." Garp said.
"And you don't?" Sengoku asked the D-Bearer.
"I messed up, Sen, Tsu. Badly. This is my only way to repent." Garp looked down at the carpet.
"Repent for what?" Tsuru asked softly, she wasn't used to being this careful with her friends.
Garp let out a bitter laugh, "I have made too many mistakes, that it took my home getting burned down and watching those I love die in front of me. I know what I have to do, and it won't end well for anyone involved."
"What do you need to do?" Sen asked, calmly, wanting to get some answers from the other man.
Garp scowled and narrowed his eyes as he stared out the window. "I will be hunted down. I don't want to drag you two down with me. But I will help you find your grandson; Sen. It's the least I can do for you." He whispered, thinking about his own grandsons.
"Garp…" Tsuru asked slowly, extremely concerned about his answer.
"What do you know about the boy?" Garp asked, getting back on topic.
"He's 13, his parents are dead. Rosi adopted him sometime during his last mission and that he's in danger. That's all I know."
"Who's the woman who gave you this information and how do you know it's creditable?" Tsuru asked.
Sengoku pushed the package and envelope towards her. She read the letter and opened the box. "Shit. It's definitely real. Who's the woman, got a name?"
"Nyx the Silence." The Fleet Admiral paused, "It appears that she's an assassin for some sort. I still haven't figured out why she told me about Rosi."
"If she's an assassin shouldn't we put a bounty on the woman?" Garp asked.
"Maybe, I don't know. I have no idea about what her motive could be by telling me about Rosi or about the boy, or even why she allowed us to look for him."
"Well, we need to figure that out and find the boy, protect him seeing as he's in danger. Do you think that the boy is connected to Rosinante's last mission?" Garp questioned.
"Possibly, but I really don't know." Sengoku shrugged.
"What was his mission?" Garp asked, looking at his friend as he frowned deeply and looked ready to declare war on someone.
"Dofalmingo." Sengoku hissed, his eyes narrowed with rage.
"Well, fuck. That complicates things." Garp groaned. "Tsu, aren't you in charge of the Donquixote Doflamingo case?"
"Yes I am. But I haven't gotten anything concrete to pursue and charge the bastard. More than that, the Five Elders are butting their noses in this case for some reason. We should start with that, the connection between the Donquixote Pirates, Rosinante, and his last mission." Tsuru said as the two men nodded along.
"But first, Garp you are going to see a doctor and we won't start this investigation until you are fully healed. Got it? I don't want to hear any complaints from you seeing as whatever you're planning is most likely going to end up blowing up in your face."
"Hope not, if it does then I'll be dead." He told the two others. Now they were even more concerned, was Garp suicidal?
"I'm going to see a medic, I know if I don't you'll bitch at me until I do. See you later." Garp said, leaving the office.
"Something is very, very wrong." Sengoku muttered, and Tsuru agreed. They would be watching Garp very closely for the next few months.
Characters:
Buggy the Clown, Dadan, Makino, Monkey D. Garp, Monkey D. Dragon, Sengoku/Buddha, Red Hair Shanks, Nojiko, Nami/Cat Burglar, Genzo, Shimotsuki Koushirou, Roronoa Zoro, Lucky Roux, Benn Beckman, Yasopp, Emperio Ivankov, Tsuru
Mentioned Characters:
Alvida, Arlong, Bellmere, Nako, Kuina, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, Portgas D. Rouge, Sakazuki/Akainu, Gol D. Roger, Crocus, Donquixote Rosinante/Corazon, Donquixote Doflamingo